The recent proliferation of consumer video cassette players and recorders has created a new market for video taped advertisements and messages. This new market has created an enormous demand for inexpensive and lightweight limited use video cassette cartridges that are suitable for mailing. These cassettes are also suitable for noncommercial recordings such as public service announcements and personal messages sent to family and friends.
Currently available limited use video cassette cartridges contain many individual parts of various materials which raises their cost and manufacturing time. In addition, the use of heavier materials in currently available limited use video cassette cartridges raises the weight of the assembled cartridge and the cost of postage.
A more particular limitation of currently available cassette cartridges is the need for internal springs to maintain the positioning of the tape reels. When the reels of a cartridge interact with the drive spindles of a video cassette recorder/player (VCR), the reels are subject to an upward force which tends to push the reels out of alignment. Currently available cartridges use internal steel springs or other tensioning devices mounted on the top panel of the cartridge to counteract this upward force and maintain reel alignment. These springs significantly add to the cost, weight, and time of manufacture of cassette cartridges. Another limitation of currently available cassette cartridges is the need for separately manufactured rollers mounted on the cartridge to guide the video tape out of the cartridge. These rollers also add to the cost, weight and time of manufacture of the cassette cartridges.
A third limitation of currently available cassette cartridges is the use of two-piece tape reels. To prevent the video tape from creeping up on the tape reels, the cassette cartridges use tape reels with a top and a bottom flange. The need for two flanges on each reel prevents the tape reels from being one-piece molded units, which raises the cost and time of manufacture and assembly. A yet further limitation of known cassette cartridges is the use of complicated tape reel lock and brake mechanisms for preventing the rotation of the tape reels during non-use.
The limitations described above prevent advertisers and consumers from making full use of video cassette cartridges. Thus, the prior art points out the need for a limited use video cassette cartridge which is made entirely of lightweight material and a minimum number of parts to take advantage of the expanding market for low priced, limited use recorded messages.